Spotify introduces verified artist badges to help distinguish humans from AI

As AI-generated artists and tracks flood music streaming platforms, Spotify is rolling out a new “Verified by Spotify” badge to help listeners more easily identify real human artists.

To receive the badge, artists must meet certain criteria. Spotify considers an artist’s presence both on and off the platform, such as concert dates, merchandise, and social accounts linked to their artist profile. Profiles that primarily represent AI-generated music or AI-persona artists are not eligible for verification.

Additionally, artists must have a consistent listening activity and engagement over time. Spotify focuses on the profiles of artists that people actively seek out over a long period of time, rather than those who experience one-time experiences in the interaction.

At launch, more than 99% of the artists the listeners want will be confirmed. Most are independent, representing a mix of genres, job categories, and regions, Spotify said.

Users will start seeing new badges appearing on artist profiles and next to artist names in search results in the coming weeks. The badges will include the text “Verified by Spotify” next to the green tag.

Given the large number of profiles on the platform, Spotify says that verification will continue, and that the absence of a badge does not mean that the profile will not receive it in the future.

Spotify prioritizes artists with active fan interest and significant contributions to music culture, instead of so-called “active music creators” – think background optimized by an algorithm or focused playlists – whose content is designed for casual listening or in the background.

“We designed this new verification system thoughtfully with listeners and artists in mind, and we will continue to evolve this system over time,” Spotify wrote in a blog post. “Our goal is to make it easier for you to trust and understand the human creativity behind the music you listen to on Spotify, and to develop long-term, meaningful connections with the artists and music you love.”

The platform is also introducing a new profile section in beta for all artist profiles that will highlight career milestones, release work, and tour work. Spotify says this section will give users a quick way to see an artist’s authentic work even if they haven’t met the criteria for a verification badge.

These updates mark Spotify’s latest efforts to address the rise of low-quality AI-generated content (AI slop) and actors on its platform. Last month, the company began beta testing an “Artist Profile Protection Feature” that allows artists to review releases before they go live on their profiles to give them more control over which tracks are associated with their name.

Spotify launched the feature just weeks after Sony Music said it had requested the removal of more than 135,000 AI-generated songs impersonating its artists from the streaming service.

While Spotify hasn’t shared details on the number of AI tracks being added to its site, rival streaming service Deezer announced last week that AI-generated tracks now represent 44% of all new music uploaded to its site every day.